Complementation groups

In classical genetics, when you isolate recessive alleles, you want to determine if any two mutants are in the same gene. To test this, you cross the two mutants, and determine whether the F1 animals continued to have the phenotype. If F1 animals are WT, this suggests the mutants are in two different genes, and therefore, the mutants represent two complementation groups.

Since people have different backgrounds, training, and thought processes, we believe this can be used to represent different complementation groups. We strive to recruit people who represent all these complementation groups so that we can complement each other's deficiencies.

Our complementation groups are based on an insightful paper by Alexander Schneider (Schneider TiBS 2009). Two other well known dichotomous classification systems are Birds and Frogs by the prolific Freeman Dyson and Lumpers and Splitters by one of the fathers of medical genetics, Victor McKusick.

What complementation group do you fall into?

Watchmaker

Someone who is detail oriented and is an expert on a gene/pathway/process but may not see the bigger picture (sees the trees but not the forest). More likely to be a frog and/or splitter.

Overwhelming majority of biomedical researchers.

Thinker

Someone who is interested in the big picture but may not be very good with the details (sees the forest but not the trees). More likely to be a bird and/or lumper.

Enriched for people with a background in the physical sciences, mathematics, and/or philosophy, as well as people with an interest in the arts.

Tinkerer

Someone who builds tools/technology to address unresolved questions.

Enriched for people with a background in engineering and/or physical sciences.

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